St. George Trip!!!

I was so excited to head down to St. George for a fun and relaxing girls weekend with my friend Hailey! We made a pact to forget all of our worries and leave them at home. We were ready to have ourselves a kick ass time!!

Driving down was long but so beautiful! With the help of Hailey's iPod we were singing along to Biggie, Salt'n'Peppa, and Bonnie Raitt!!

We were going to be staying at Hailey's sister Ashley's house
(or "Ashwipe" as we like to call her :) These two aren't as innocent as they look!!

*COCKTAILS!!*

We didn't waste anytime!! Rum & Cokes + Tequila shots were the start to one CRAZY night!! My good ol' friend Macy came over later- it was so good to see her face again! As we shared our stories we all were laughing so hard my cheek muscles started to hurt! I honestly couldn't remember the last time I have laughed so hard... it felt great.

Here are some of my favorite pics we took that night:

The next day we laid by the pool in the afternoon and later went down to visit Hailey & Ash's Dad and Stepmom. They cooked us these amazing cheeseburgers and made us ice cream sundaes complete with a cherry on top. I felt so special :)

Afterward we headed to the Outlet stores for some shopping and decided to take the scenic route. It was so gorgeous in person- these pictures do not do it justice!

After shopping for some new clothes we got all dressed up to go out to Mesquite for a little drinkin' and gamblin'!

I learned that penny slots are where it's at!! Hailey's fav is Betti the Yetti. I swear those slot machines love her- she won so much money!! I was cheering for myself when I won 40 cents- meanwhile Hailey is winning $3 and $5 at a time with no problem. Lucky Beyotch. After several watered down drinks and zero buzz, we thought our money would be better spent at home with a bottle from the liquor store. Good call!

The next day we did some more lounging and shopping. We knew we would have to be leaving soon, so for the last hour we laid out by Ashley's community pool which sits on top of a hill with amazing views of the St. George valley- red rocks everywhere. I was in heaven with that sun shining down on us and did not want to leave!

We took a few last pictures together and slowly got our butts moving dreading the fact that we were about to go back to reality. Who would want to go back to work after a trip like this! I seriously could have stayed there all day.

On the way back despite the fact that Hailey's iPod had died, her CD's got left at Ashley's, and all that was on the radio was Jesus tunes, we saw this beautiful rainbow! It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

As we drove back into more rainclouds and stormy skies, I smiled as I looked through the pictures on my camera. Life is all about making memories and being with the people you love. We didn't have a care in the world and I know I will look back and smile every time. Even though I knew tomorrow was going to be back to stress and the every day hustle, I held on to being in that carefree state of mind as long as I could.

I thought of when Hailey, Macy & I all stopped in the middle of our drunken giggles that Friday night and sang along to Bob Marley:

"Don't worry about a thing,
cuz every little thing is gonna be alright."

Well said Bob, well said. :)

Movie Review: "The Young Victoria"

"A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert."

I almost died when I saw that this movie was available to view online! Most of you know that I was named after Queen Victoria, hence the blog title, so I feel a tiny connection to her, but I've never really known her story. After watching this film and seeing some of the historic events she went through, I felt even more special to be named after such a powerful woman. I learned that her real first name is Alexandrina so we actually share the same middle name! She is also a Gemini born on May 24, 1819. She grew up an only child, her father dying when she was only 8 months old, with a domineering mother whom she refused guidance from after she became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland just a short month after her 18th birthday.

This film showed who the real Victoria was, a free spirited and strong willed woman who cared for people that were less than her royalty status. She was treated like a child, even after she was Queen, and many tried to influence her decision making, including her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne whom she was rumored to have a relationship with. The movie shows the perspectives of Lord Melbourne and her cousin Prince Albert, who both are seeking Victoria's heart. She follows her heart which leads to Prince Albert, and they get married in February of 1840. They were very happy together and ended up having 9 children.

She reigned for 64 years until her death in 1901, the longest ruling Queen to this date.

(Learn more about the biography of Queen Victoria by clicking here.)

I just loved this romantic drama, I thought it would have been boring but it really captured my interest the entire time. Historic movies always show me that although it was a long time ago and their speech and the way they dress are different, underneath it all the emotions and drama are real and comparable to today's generation. The costumes were AMAZINGLY gorgeous. Although it may not have been perfectly depicted to its true history, I thought it was very well done as a whole. Emily Blunt is an amazing actress. I loved her in "The Devil Wears Prada" and was glad she got this role. I heard this movie was rated #3 for the best movies in 2009. Hopefully Emily will win herself an Oscar!

Rain. . Rain. . GO AWAY!

Dear Mother Nature,

I'd like to ask you a small favor. First, let me explain. . .

There is a serene and calming energy around when Rain comes to town. I love seeing the artistic little beads of water he leaves on the windows, watching his drops splash in the puddles, the peaceful sound of thudding on the roof, the way he clears the air and makes it smell fresh again. He really is quite enjoyable for the most part.

But, come on Mother Nature. Rain has been here for almost 2 weeks straight. ENOUGH ALREADY! It's been nice enjoying Rain's company, but I'm tired of those gloomy and gray clouds he brings with him, I'm sick of him causing there to be wet doggy trails through my house, and I am through with carrying an umbrella when it is clearly the middle of June!

So please, Mother Nature, if you have a heart, ask Sun to please come back and shine those rays upon us once again. We sure do miss her around here :-(

Sincerely,
Kristen

P.S. Please tell Rain we hope there are no hard feelings :-/

"Wisdom Tooth Tale" featuring Brian Regan

Movie Review: "Changeling"

"Los Angeles, 1928. A single mother returns from work to find her nine-year-old son gone. She calls the LAPD to initiate a search. Five months later, a boy is found in Illinois who fits the description; he says he's her son. To fanfare and photos, the LAPD reunite mother and son, but she insists he's not her boy. The cops dismiss her as either a liar or hysterical. When she joins a minister in his public criticism of the police, they in turn use government power to silence and intimidate her. Meanwhile, a cop goes to a dilapidated ranch to find a Canadian lad who's without legal status; the youth tells a grisly tale. There's redress for murder; is there redress for abuse of power?" (courtesy of IMBD.com)

WOW is all I have to say after viewing this film! In my opinion it was very well done and held onto my interest the entire time. I'm not a huge fan of Angelina, but I really applaud her performance in this drama/thriller in addition to all of the other stellar performances. The true story exposed the LAPD for what they were in the 1920's... corrupt. It was unbelievable to me what citizens had to go through to get justice in those days. This film will make your mouth drop, maybe make you cry and cringe, but I promise you will remember this woman's story forever. I give it 5 stars. . . definitely worth renting.